Iranian authorities blocked access to social networks Instagram and Whatsapp on Thursday after six days of protests against the death of a young woman detained by vice squad, which left at least 17 people dead.
However, the death toll will be much higher, according to the Oslo-based non-governmental organization (NGO) Iran Human Rights (IHR), which reports that at least 36 people have been killed by security forces.
The death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Masha Amini sparked a wave of condemnations around the world, with several NGOs denouncing the “ruthless” suppression of protests by the country’s authorities.
Masha Amini, a resident of Kurdistan, was arrested on September 13 by the vice squad in Tehran, where he was visiting, for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly and transferred to a police station with the aim of adding “an hour of reeducation”. live. .
He died three days later in a hospital where he fell into a coma after a heart attack, which authorities attributed to health problems, a version rejected by the family.
Several activist groups say the young woman was the victim of a fatal blow to the head.
This Thursday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi announced an investigation into the young woman’s death, but denounced the “hypocrisy of Western powers”.
“I’m sure an investigation will certainly be opened,” Raisi told reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, noting that the coroner’s report made no mention of police abuse.
Demonstrations took place across the country after his funeral on Saturday and have now reached at least 15 cities across the country.
Source: DN
